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A. A. HULL.

Straw Cutter.-

Patented Dec. 4, 1843.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

AB E LeAQ HULL; or OROTON, NEW YORK.

STRAW-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 3,363, dated December 4, 1843.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, A. A. .HULL, of Croton,in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Machines for Cutting Straw, which is described as follows, reference being had to the annexed drawings of the same making part of this specification. i t

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine, Fig. 2 is a viewof the feeding apparatus, Fig. 3 is a section of the feed ng rollers, Fig. 4E cog wheels on the axles of the feeding rollers. t a

The frame A of this machine resembles the frame of other straw cutting machines. It is made of wood or other suitable mate rial of the requisite size and strength. B is the cutting boxin which the substance to be cut is placed. A metallic linlng C is in the front end of the cutting box. D is a metallic plate or casting fastened tothe front of the cutting box perforated in the middle with an oblong opening through which the straw or substance to be cut is carried f0rward to the cutting knife by the feeding rollers hereafter described.- Around this opening ribs are formed on the plate over which the knife slides or rubs on its upward and downward oblique movement for sharpening it, which ribs are extended vertically from the four angles of the opening.

The cutting knife E is concave on the side moving over said ribs and convex or beveled on the outside forming two cutting edges. It is made to receive an oblique movement or stroke over the aforesaidribs and opening for cutting the straw both in its upward. and downward sweep for performing the double operation of cutting the straw as it descends and ascends in the following mani ner. To the wrist of a revolving crank shaft F turned in the manner hereafter described a one end of the aforesaid knifeis attached and secured by a nut so as to work loosely on' the wrist. The middle of the knife is connected by a pin projecting from the back of the same to the upper end of a vibrating arm G moving on a bolt inserted into one of the cross girts of the frameand pressed inward againstthe knife by an oblique spring rod or crane H and thumb, screw I, the spring rod or crane also turning. in another of the cross girts of the frame. ,When the screw is loosened, it allows the knife to spring outward from the cutting box and when screwed up it draws it again toward the cutting box. As the crank revolves it carries the end of the knife attached to the wrist around withit while, the other end. of the knife is carried upward and downward in an oblique direction causing the upper cutting edge of the knife to sweep from the lower outward angle of the mouth of the cutting box upward to the inner upper corner and in descending to sweep from the upper outward angle of the box to the lower inner angle cutting the substance in the box which is brought forward by fluted rollers at each upward and downward strokein themannerof a draw knife stroke.

The feeding is performed by the following arrangement of machinery. Near the cutting end of the cutting box is arranged a pair of horizontal parallel fluted feeding rollers K, L, one placed above the other with their axles extending through and beyond the sides of the cutting box having a cog wheel M on the end of each, outside the cutting box, the teeth of the one engaging with the teeth of the other which are made long forthe purpose of allowing the upper feeding roller to rise or fall as more or less straw is introduced and the cog wheels still to remain in gear. On the opposite end of the axle of the lower roller there is fixed a ratchet wheel N, see Fig. 2, which is caused to turn with the roller at intervals of time for bringing forward the straw to the knife by a reating arm 0 which is made to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel just beforethe knife begins to ascend and descend over the mouth of the box and to slip over the teeth as the knife is passing through the substance to be out leaving the feeding rollers at rest. For this purpose the reach mg arm is attached to a segment arm I,

turning loosely on the outer end of the axle of the lower feeding roller on which the ratchet wheel is placed. This segment arm is connected to the end of a vibrating lever J by a connecting rod Q, the fulcrum ofthe lever being in a box on one of the cross pieces of the frame. This lever is vibrated vertically by two cams S on the crank shaft F which strike against theunder side of the said lever J causing its outwardend to rise and fall with the connecting rod which raises the segment arm, which draws forward the reaching arm 0 and thus turns the ratchet wheel N and feeding rollers M. The cam having passed from under the lever J as the shaft revolves the lever by its own gravity descends, returning the segment arm to its former position and carrylng back the reaching arm for a new hold on the ratchet.

wheel. The other cam then comes in contact with the lever and the operation before described is repeated and in this manner the feeding goes on until all the substance in the box is cut up. The upper feeding roller is pressed toward the lower one by spiral springs S which also suffer it to rise when, required.

The crank shaft is turned by having a bevel wheel T on its end into which another bevel wheel U on a horizontal axle V engages, which axle is turned by a crank or in any convenient way. The last mentioned bevel wheel works into a small cog wheel X on the shaft Y of the fly wheel Z for equalizing the motion. The sweep of the lever J (which regulates the length of the cut straw) is gaged by a screw rod a turn at right angles at its lower end forming an arm I) against which the lever J strikes in its descent, which arm moves in a slot in a standard 0 screwed to the frame, and is raised or lowered by having the vertical part of said screw rod pass through a cap cl of the standard, upon which a thumb nut turns screwed upon the upper end of said rod, see Fig. 2.

I do not claim giving to the knife an oblique draw-knife-stroke, but

What I do claim as my invention and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s' 1. The way or manner of giving the knife an oblique draw knife stroke as it ascends and descends for the purpose described of cutting at the upward as well as at the downward stroke by attaching one end of the knife to a crank and the middle to an adjustable vibrating rod as described.

2. Also the arrangement of the apparatus for turning the feeding rollers for feeding or bringing forward the substance to be cut to the knife, as described.

3. Also the mode of regulating the cut of the straw by the combination of the lever J and screw rod a.

A; A. HULL. Witnesses:

BARRY DAviDs, J. LE VAIRs.

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